


Sores of War

by katdog133



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Isn't discussed but the dynamic is there, Manipulation, Mental Health Issues, Swearing, That is for Ranboo and Tommy, Tommy speaks of course we gotta swear, Trauma, Tubbo is adopted by Phillza, We talk about Wilbur and Jshlatt and how they are gone and what they did, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, everyone needs a hug but dream, suck it green boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28886418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katdog133/pseuds/katdog133
Summary: How the mighty have fallen, Dream has been defeated, trapped, and stripped of his weapons and armor. The other members of the server even have him trapped in a box of obsidian that he himself mined, while also being threatened with his own weapons. Having no way out, his bark gets bigger than his bite for once. Trying to get his last bits of enjoyment out of his cruel workings while stalling for the time he is more than happy when Tommy asks him to explain himself. Oh, and how he will enjoy explaining every brutal detail for the victims to relive in front of their peers, friends, rivals, and enemies.The events after Tommy and Tubbo lost their armor with the difference being, what if Dream did explain his actions, schemes, and manipulations to the server during the 1/20 streams? Would it bring the server closer together?
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 38





	Sores of War

**Author's Note:**

> Just note and reaffirm there are just the characterized versions of the creators that exist in the canon of the Dream SMP
> 
> Check at the end of the work for an explanation/thoughts on the work and Dream's character and the 1/20 stream. Since I do agree with how Dream remained silent in the stream but this is a Dream in a slightly different plan during his takedown. Also, some of his workings especially with Ranboo are just possible theories of what could have happened and his mindset while doing them.

The energy in Dream's base was tense, hopeless, and dim with Tommy and Tubbo backed into a corner they were sure they could never escape. They had listened to Dream ramble about his wish to monopolize all the attachments. The two boys never straying far from each other the whole speech. Tubbo at some moments clinging to Tommy's shoulder to ground himself or Tommy gently grabbing Tubbo's forearm to pull him closer and further away from Dream.  
They were all each other had for that moment, they had no items, no armor, not even a scrap of food between them. The bleakness of the situation was only accented by the cold back stone and bedrock, the empty eerieness of the base that was supposed to imprison the most precious and loved items, pets, and even friends. The only sense of a slight warmth they could find in those moments was in each other.   
Tommy couldn't suppress a grin when Punz walked through that portal or the gasp that followed when he saw nearly every member of the server. Puffy, Sam, Bad, Sapnap, Eret, Ant, Big Q, Ranboo, Jack, and even Niki, most in full neitherite armor and weapons. Grabbing Tubbo and hiding behind his allies, new and old. Grabbing the discs, in disbelief that they were winning, Dream wasn't even fighting back.   
The mood quickly shifted, from the bleakness to a determined stand against the source of so much pain. Dream tone that mere seconds ago was a smooth venom of threats and plans, was now panic defensive rambling of a villain caught in the act.   
Tommy never looked happier, a large grin on his face, he held himself high as he finally was able to stand up to the man that caused him and his loved ones so much pain. The man who edged Wilbur into insanity, the man who had killed him twice, the man who tricked and isolated him from the rest of the world, who framed him, the man that wanted nothing but to use him, was at his mercy. He had no problem killing him. That is until Dream picked at one of Tommy's weak points, Wilbur. Claiming he could bring him back from the dead.

"Tommy, you have to let me go!" Dream exclaimed his tone anything but respectful, one you might use against a misbehaving or dense child. 

Tommy held the crossbow tight in his grip, hesitating for a second leaving a beat of silence in the room before answering, "I'm not going to fucking let you go!"

"We absolutely cannot do that!" Tubbo added in with agreement. 

"You Dream," Tommy said getting closer to the obsidian box, "you are such a huge fucking part of the misery on this server! If this wasn't your server we wouldn't be having such a fucking bad time!"

Slowly Sam stepped out of the crowd that at this point was just observing. He placed one of his hands on Tommy's shoulder, gently as the teen was already tense and even more agitated by Dream's claims. He tried to make his tone calm and comforting only assuming he had been through a lot today, "Tommy-"

"You are the reason this server sucks!" Tommy continued his ramblings. But was finally interrupted when Sam squeezed his shoulder gently trying to get this attention.

"Tommy, please," Sam repeated again, being more successful in quieting the teen. "Tommy you don't have to set him free. We just can't kill him."

"But how are we-"

"We have the prison," Sam replied simply. 

Tubbo came closer to the two, "But do we know how it works?" He had tilted his head slightly at the thought, not sure how such a building could be made much less operated.  
  
A warm smile was on Sam's face as he looks at the both of them, "I built it, it will work."

Dream chuckled nervously in his confinement, "Are you forgetting I also know how it works?" 

Sam stepped closer to the box, his soft smiling never wavering as he looked at Dream's mask, silently wishing he could see more of his reaction as he spoke, "then you know better than everyone that it is impossible to get out of." 

Dream was silent, not arguing on the matter. He looked at the obsidian trying to think of any way to get out of this. After he was killed the first time he messaged Techno using his commutator trying to use that favor along with sending cords but had no reply yet. That was his only chance of escaping, he needed time. The time he didn't have as Sam was already discussing with Sapnap about transporting him to the prison. Tommy and Tubbo were adding insult to injury shouting insults with some of the other members joining in. The barrage of comments finally sparking some ideas to stall. 

"You know what Dream?" Tommy started, taking a second to breathe, "you're done, you lost, you lost the war." With that, he broke the obsidian.

"Say bye-bye Dream," Tubbo said in a playful whisper as Sapnap started to move closer but Dream just place the obsidian right back down. Tommy broke it again to Dream just placing it down again. Tommy contained his annoyance when a thought crossed his mind. 

"Okay fine Dream, if you want to stay here so badly why not explain what this all is to everyone else!" He said spreading his arms gesturing to the base and the hallway. "Let's hear about what you did!"

Dream breathed in an out, he was going to make this work, he was going to shake the boat even more for time. Regaining confidence in his voice he looked at the crowd staring at him. Seeing Tommy's wide grin and Tubbo's bright smile, and the glares from all of his members, his chessboard. He smiled pushing his mask closer to his face as he looked at them all. "I was the one who blew up the community house."

A few gasps, harsher glares, but what made Dream keep his smile was the shocked, petrified look of Ranboo, how Sapnap could barely look at him, Callahad's expression was pure disappointment, a look of slight regret in Niki and Jack's eyes. He could definitely keep this going.

"Well?" Tommy prompted, "What else?" 

"What do you want me to tell them, Tommy?"

"Everything, everything you ever that was manipulative and fucked up. Even the stuff I don't know about!" He brought the crossbow up again, about to threaten Dream. But the man in the mask simply put his hands in the air, a smile still on his face. 

"If you say so Tommy, everything out on the table, where should I start?" He asked looking to the crowd.

"Why did you make George king just to take it away from him? Why did you stop being our friend?" Sapnap asked, his tone was bitter but full of pain.

"I needed to get Tommy in trouble, simple as that. Eret was much too forgiving while George was more pliable, he wouldn't care if went too far with L'Manburg. Let's face it Eret was guilty over betraying L'Manburg, he wouldn't let it go that far." He stated calmly.

Sapnap had a grip on his sword and fire in his eyes as he stepped forward yelling, "What the fuck are we to you Dream? I thought we were allies, friends, partners! You fucking threw all that away for Tommy's stupid discs!"

Dream chuckled as he lent on the wall behind him, bending his knee and placing one of his feet on the wall to get comfy. "We're nothing," Sapnap's anger died down being replaced by anguish, his flame being put out. Dream continued, "I cut my attachments so I could control everyone else's. Sure you and George once meant the world to me, but now." He shrugged, "you are just another chess piece in the game."

"Dream-" his voice cracked at the edges, Bad pulling Sapnap into a side hug. He could hardly believe what was being said either, looking at Dream in horror.

"That is so fucked up Dream," Tommy growled from the side of the box. The crowd seemed on the same page as Tommy.

"But what do you mean attachments?" Ant asked, his ears flicked back in as an anxious pool filled in his stomach of what Dream's plans were.

"Well Ant, after Tommy got his discs he started spreading attachment. Something or one so beloved one would do anything to keep it safe. Before Tommy, we didn't care about some stupidly named weapon or a fucking piece of plastic, or even any pets we had for that matter. But after Tommy," the man grinned, his tone changing to a type of reverence of the thought. "You could have so much leverage on people through that attachment, I could have control back over the server."

There was a pause, a thick tension was in the air. Sapnap finally spoke up, "Tommy, Tommy what is in the hallway?"

"Dream was trying to collect everyone's" he paused, hating to repeat the same words as Dream, "'attachments.'"

The group looked behind them, Tommy and Tubbo staying at the box as the rest went down the dark chilling hallway. Lined with places and signs for everyone's beloved items, pets, and even friends. Slowly they started collecting any missing items or felt the pit of dread when they saw a sign aimed at their attachment. Tommy and Tubbo flinched at Bad's tone when he spoke, it was brittle and full of worry.

"Skeppy?" He touched the bars for a minute before flinching away at the idea of his best friend being locked away.

"Skeppy?" Quackity chuckled nervously as he echoed Bad's statement.

"Oh that is messed up," Puffy said looking at the cage grimacing. She looked back down the hallway. "You were going to lock away Skeppy with all these items and animals?" 

"It's Bad's only attachment," Dream replied.

"Is that really Henry and Friend?" Niki spoke up.

"Yeah-" Tommy replied a little choked up. "Niki let- Niki can you please let them out." 

Niki hesitated for a second, glancing at the two beloved animals. It wasn't just for Tommy, it was for Ghostbur too. She pulled out two leads and let them out.

Ranboo strayed away from the ground, going back to the box, after seeing the fence post and sign for Enderchest had gone to writing in his memory book. He had abandoned all thoughts of anything else as he was sitting back against the wall writing furiously as his other hand ran through his hair nervously. He had gone mostly unnoticed by the rest.

Slowly the group moved back to Dream's box, who was waiting patiently for more questions, secretly waiting for a notification on his communicator. "So what next?" A hush fell over the room.

"Why follow me around? Why did you make me a knight?" Puffy spoke up, her voice was cold and determined. "I cared about you, I called you my Duckling for goodness sake. I even made you home and you do all this?" She said anger starting to trickle into her voice. 

"I knew you would be a loyal knight, simple as that."

"I was just another chess piece then? Who else was apart of your sick game?

Dream thought for a moment, "well a lot of people to some extent, though by far the most useful recently has been Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo."

Tubbo looked to Tommy with guilt written all over his face, while Tommy tried his best to keep his head held up high. Ranboo however, still writing in his book froze, the eyes of quite a few server members were on him, he was the most unexpected on the list. His anxiety was spiking by the second having no idea what Dream will say, or what the truth even was.

"So you have been manipulating children?" Puffy growled.

"Ranboo?" Niki asked her voice full of concern for the younger member. 

"I-" Ranboo voice faltered, he dropped his quill for the book and was holding his head in pain.

"Ranboo," Niki repeated again, she handed the leads over to Jack and went over, kneeling to his level. "Ranboo what's wrong?"

"Ranboo?" Tubbo's voice was unsure and concerned until he remembered what Ranboo had told him about himself a few days before. "Don't look at him!" He said quickly, "he gets all nervous and agitated when too many people are staring at him."

Many of the crowd adverted their faces after Tubbo explained it wasn't helping. They all very concerned though, Niki still knelt by her friend's side, she had closed his memory book and set it to the side. Her expression was very concerned. "Ranboo what did he do to you? Are you in pain?"

The teen buried his face in his hands, his breathing was erratic and clearly panicked. He tried to speak but his voice kept shaking, and his hands muffled the attempt, "its my head I... I don't kno-" His words started morphing into warbles and croaks that were very enderman like in nature. Some of the members looked at each other a bit taken aback by the development, while some were glaring at Dream who had a wide smile as he still stared at Ranboo.

"Ranboo can you still hear me?" Niki asked in her most comforting voice. "Deep breaths okay? Breath with me." Tommy was about to lash out at Dream to demand answers to what he had done but Tubbo stopped him.

"Be quiet Tommy, you might make him more stressed," Tubbo explained, Tommy relaxed a little backing off from the box. Waiting for when Ranboo's breathing to start evening out in time with Niki's, for the desperate warbles to calm down, and after that when the choked sobs lessened. It took some time, everyone waited, anger and curiosity growing to what Dream did. 

"Oh, Ranboo..." Niki's voice was quiet but so very concerned as she saw Ranboo's skin around his eyes and his hands had started to blister, from his own tears. Guilt was weighing her down in her heart, how could she let this happen? She helped the tall boy up supporting him slightly as she leads him back to the group. She had pocketed his book to give back to him later. For now, he just followed her lead still in a state of extreme emotion.

"Alright bitch what the fuck did you do to memory boy?" Tommy barked gesturing to Ranboo's current state.

"Honestly, he did most of it to himself," Dream replied. "At first I thought he was a useless piece of the game, but then when I was gathering materials for TNT I found him wandering around, dumb book clutched in his hand. You can see how he is practically putty after his meltdowns." He said gesturing to the teen's absent look. "He ends up forgetting everything that happens, you can get him to do whatever you want, or give you whatever you want."

"You- you took his book," Tubbo said in disbelief. 

"Mhm, an obvious conclusion." Dream deadpanned, "When I saw he was getting cozy with Techno I knew he could be a useful playing piece. With all the stress in L'Manburg and his own guilt, he slipped into that aimless wandering mode so often. Eventually, I started speaking to him, slipping ideas in his head since he would forget I was the one that said them. Telling him he is the bad guy, he is the traitor, that he blew up the community house. At one point I needed to hide the cat disc since I was worried someone was on my trail. I hid it under his shack, he still found it though, that really sent him into one of those panics for a while."

"Ranboo had my disc?" Tommy asked in disbelief. 

"Well, only for a short time, when he found cat he blacked out again. By the time he came to, I already got it back. I even sent him on a little mission to collect Netherrack for me, for your invitation Tommy." Dream casually informed. 

There was a hushed silence, Niki pulled Ranboo closer to her as he felt the taller boy shook a little.

"I-" Ranboo started, his eyes slightly more focused, "You were talking to me during my blackouts?"

"Yes."

Ranboo rubbed his face mumbling to himself in hushed and a slightly slurred manner. "You- is that why?" 

"Is what why Ranboo?" Niki asked concerned.

"I've- I've been hearing Dream's voice in my head for- for weeks, oh no. I really thought," He hid his face in his hands, "Oh god I really thought I did all those things- I'm so sorry I didn't realize it sooner."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Puffy said right away.

Tubbo left his spot next to Tommy going to Ranboo, "it's okay big man!" He said in an attempt at a cheerful tone, "you always mean to do the right thing and we know it."

Dream chuckled, "you would know all about that wouldn't you Tubbo?"

The color drained from Tubbo's face and his expression became tenser as he attempted a forced smile. 

"Dream," Quackity warned, "that's enough."

"No, no, no," he replied not the least bit threatened, "Tommy wants me to explain, so let me explain."

Tommy looked to Tubbo who gave a small nod and forced smile.

"Tubbo, definitely such a used pawn of mine. Schlatt trained him well, he is still so skittish about his own wants that when he became the President he just did whatever anyone told him. He crumbles so damn easily, all it took was some threats and some half convincing words and Tommy was exiled. All I used Tubbo was for my plans for Tommy," he chuckled slightly. "Even I was surprised about how idiotic he was for giving me Tommy's disk. All I have to do is raise my voice, give him ultimatums, and he falls in line. He could have never been the next Schlatt, Schlatt since he would actually put up a fight."

Tubbo had started rubbing his own arm still keeping up the smile but with a pained expression in his eyes that were trained on the floor. He spoke his voice cracking at the beginning, "Tommy I'm sorry."

"Tubbo-" Tommy paused, "Tubbo you have nothing to be sorry for, it is his fucking fault, okay? I- I am really sorry I didn't realize how much it hurt working with Schlatt or how you might have changed."

"Tommy-" Tubbo was cut off by Dream clapping his hands.

"Such a hero Tommy, that's why I like playing with you the most." 

Tommy glared at Dream, "Well go on then, me up next innit?"

Dream was taken a little aback by this, "Tommy we both know what happened in exile, it is our little secret."

"Tell them, tell them what you did fucker," he said firmly, "I want no misunderstandings about how fucked up you are. I am such a big man Dream I got better so I don't give a fuck if you tell them what happened in exile."

"If that's what you want," his hands brushed over his communicator after feeling it vibrate, a smile on Dream's face. "I knew I wanted to jump at the chance of using Tommy for attachments when Wilbur died. He needed that mentor in his life, and no one else would fill it. He already had a pretty twisted sense of mentorship, Wilbur really wasn't that gentle in his weeks with Tommy. I just needed him more isolated, which L'Manburg already was after Wilbur's death, so I over reacted to his prank on George's house. Forced his only reliable friend at that time to exile him again, only on his own this time. He needs so much attention and interaction it was easy to get him to rely only on me for it. He never made any progress since I would blow it up, I stopped invitations from being sent out, I acted as his friend. Then the rebellious boy was all but a pile of mush, barely functioning as a person. Constantly lashing out at people's attempts to help or at himself and only coming to me."

Tommy took a deep breath, "Dream, I think you are forgetting something."

The members were dead silent, Tubbo with wide eyes of concern for his friend. After his mistreatment being put out so bluntly.

"Did I?" Dream asked playfully.

"You sick bastard," Tommy got up on the obsidian box again, looking over the crowd. "Dream did all of that to me, I was so fucking alone out there I lost motivation to do anything. He never cared or looked out for me in my exile like he said, I was freezing in a tent every night and he would blow up my progress and my food every day, sometimes making me blow the shit up! He told me lies about everyone back here! It got so bad that I-" he was breathing heavy, looking into the crowd, seeing some glares at Dream. "He got the biggest man around, me to fucking lose my mind, I would wake up drowning in the ocean, I- I didn't want to be around anymore. The world was pain, my life was misery, I was so alone, I stared at the lava in the neither, I would always notice a height drop that could kill me."

"Tommy?" Tubbo spoke up in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"After he blew up Logstedshire and forbid me from the neither I gathered up all the blocks I could." He gulped, his arms wrapped around themselves, "I started towering up, and up, and up, and up. I was so high up as I looked at everything, I wanted to- I wanted to jump, I wanted for the pain to end, I wanted to die." Tommy didn't even look at the other people as he leaps down from the box getting some flinches from the crowd. "That is what he can do to a person, that is how dangerous and fucked up he is! He takes advantage of you and then he breaks you so he can get more power."

When he finished his statement, Tubbo wasted no time in tackling Tommy in a hug, which was quickly reciprocated. The adults taking a few moments to process what they just heard.

"He- he drove you to want to commit suicide..." Quackity mumbled to himself not being able to process it.

"CHILDREN, LITERAL CHILDREN," Puff exclaimed loudly.

Niki was silent as she continued to be there to ground Ranboo by helping to steady him. Many thoughts racing through her head, some ideas reaffirmed, others she began to question.  
  
"Oh, Tommy..." Bad muttered look at Dream in a brief-expression of disgust before looking back to the two boys in concern.

Sam kept a straight face as he broke the box, noticing Dream was in a slight state of shock as he looked at his communicator. Sapnap started to lead him away. Sam took the soon to be prisoners communicator and smiled at the reply from Technoblade. 

_cant im busy_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope it was at least somewhat enjoyable! It's a little scuffed not gonna lie since I normally do like 5 rewrites for pieces but I only did two for this one since it was mostly a break from a project I've been working on. Please comment with any thoughts or critics on the work though! I don't normally post my own works very often so feedback would be nice to see if I should do it more often. Fanfics are a nice break from my normal writing process that I might do more often if anyone likes them that is. Probably would end up being fluffy fics since I love found family tropes. 
> 
> Now I 100% agree with how c!Dream didn't explain himself in the stream. He still has some power and doesn't need any more hate from the members than he already has. The Dream I wrote can't find himself a way out aside from Techno and needs to stall, but he is being a spiteful ass about it. Basically, he wants to reap some of the fruits of his labor by showing how much he did without them noticing. This was also an excuse to get the characters to start empathizing again after war and arguments really started to callose them. Also so they can get some support from each other. 
> 
> Also, ignore the fact Bad is evil during this time there is only so much I can do. Plus Bad's father energy is needed here.


End file.
